The commission meets every four years to review salaries for judges, lawmakers and top executive branch officials and to recommend whether pay raises are warranted. Its recommendations take effect automatically unless rejected in their entirety by lawmakers.

The panel had recommended a 6 percent raise for judges, and raises from 2 percent to 9 percent for certain cabinet secretaries.

But lawmakers said Delaware's financial situation is too uncertain to authorize the pay increases for top-ranking officials. The commission did not recommend pay increases for lawmakers.